Things You'll Need
Unfinished flat wood cross
Small colored glass pieces
Assorted embellishments
Liquid Nails mosaic adhesive
Latex gloves
Paper towels
Clear sealant spray
Decorate an unfinished wood cross with assorted bits of broken tile, colored glass pieces, sea shells or china. From bookmark-size crosses to large ones that can stand alone, these mosaic projects are one-of-a-kind works of art. Children, adults and groups will enjoy spending a few hours crafting these crosses that can be given as gifts or displayed on a wall, in gardens or as centerpieces for a holiday dinner. They can also be made as treasures to sell at a fundraising event.
Step 1
Lay paper towels on a work table outdoors or in a well-ventilated area (to avoid breathing fumes from mosaic adhesive). Put unfinished wood cross on the work table.
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Step 2
Place an assortment of glass pieces and embellishments such as buttons, jewelry pieces, beads, charms or rhinestones on the table. Pick through them and choose pieces that you want to use for your mosaic project that will fit within the flat space of your cross for decorating. For example, if your wood cross is small, choose small pieces. If your wood cross is large, choose mixed sizes so little pieces can be placed among the larger ones.
Step 3
Arrange chosen glass pieces and embellishments on top of the wood cross as desired. You can choose to extend some pieces out a bit or align all of them within the exact shape of the cross. Rearrange the decorative pieces until satisfied with the design.
Step 4
Put on latex gloves. Using the mosaic adhesive, remove a small area of decorative pieces and apply glue on the wood. Continue working in small areas the same way because the glue may start to dry quickly.
Step 5
Add additional small decorative pieces with the mosaic adhesive if any open spaces need to be filled. When you have finished decorating the top, let the cross dry.
Step 6
Add mosaic pieces to one side of the cross as desired if the wood cross is thick enough to support mosaic decorations.Turn the cross onto its side against a support. Let dry. Continue turning the cross and decorating until all the sides are completely decorated and dry.
Step 7
Spray the completed mosaic cross with clear sealant spray. This helps to secure any loose pieces and gives the cross a shiny finish.
Tip
Paint the back of the wood cross and the sides if desired before applying any mosaic decorations.
If the cross is large and will stand alone after decoration, secure it first onto an appropriately sized square base to support it before beginning the mosaic project.
Test the mosaic adhesive with a few pieces of decorations on a small piece of wood to determine how long it takes to begin hardening.
Warning
If children are participating in this project, an adult should supervise the use of mosaic adhesive and clear sealant spray.
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